City Love

I could fall in love for certain cities. I really do stupid things like that. Sometimes it is a love at first sight, and sometimes it goes like the romance in Meg Ryan movies. You know that kind of thing when boy meet girl, just friends, things happen, they hate each other, but separated made them realize that they need each other, and then there they go, kissing in front of the public in the airport. It happens between me and the city.

Let’s say, I am the girl. And the cities are boy.

The case between me and Kobe (of course this is not Kobe Bryan the handsome basketball player. And FYI I don’t fall in love for those types. Ah don’t you even care. ). Ok where was I? Yes, I fell in love with Kobe, love at first sight. The moment I step my foot on the train station and saw Panda posters all over wall, I felt the tickle. And then I went around the city. I hold my breath, and felt a bunch of warm feelings all over my heart. Physically, Kobe is perfect. Not too big (I am not into big guys), not too noisy (I lurve quiet guys), and most of all located by the sea (oh yes beach boys you all have had my heart). Iche, my friend who introduced Kobe to me, told me Kobe history. And it was overwhelming. The fact that, on 1995 Kobe hit by devastating earthquake, touched me in the heart. And looking at how strong and tall Kobe is standing now, was the moment that me realize that I was falling for the right guy. Knowing one can live through rough conditions is a guarantee that he is someone to rely on. Tough guy, turns me on.

And Meg Ryan story is what happening between me and this city. Just a second, it is too soon to reveal the name here.

The first time I look at him, ouw hell. What a mess he is. Bad boy, but not the type I can easily fell in love with. Noisy, too big with a bunch of crap. He is too loud as well. It is night time, and you can still him talking. But I have to be with him, let’s say for one year ahead, so be nice to each other please. At the first place, it was awful experiences he gave me. I didn’t feel save around him, and safety is the top of the things girl should get from a guy. So, how can’t I love him?

But time flies. As we strolled around together, he taught me many things, particularly about life. About being independent, struggling, believing in the path you’ve taken and about finding home in the heart of your closest fellas. About the safety thing, he taught me indirectly, that guys should always give girls safety feeling, but girls should be aware to her surrounding and not too dependent on guys. Well, it might be imprecise, but more or less it was the lesson I have learnt. And many more. In short, I am overwhelmed by the indirect way he guides me through life and how the two of us never gave up learning about each other.
And so, after a fight (yes we have it sometimes), I took days off outside town. But just like those romantic movies and cliché phrase: you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Sort of. I gazed at the bus window and realized, I miss Jakarta so much.

And soon, there will be scene where he and I will be kissing in front of the public at the airport. Yes, I’m going away, but for the time being I don’t mind to go home to him.

On a ride

I wanna go in a date. With my lover. He is tall and skinny. And he drives the vehicle so carefully. The way he manages to hold the gear is so attempting. So I manage to hold it too. And find his hand instead. He smiled. For a while he switches the object of his glance. A warm look, eye to eye. And without any words, I know exactly what’s in his mind. I didn’t say any words as well. Yup, Let’s holding hands, dear. It will make both of us stronger.

Miss Most

I would like to pop him a question “what do you miss most about UK?” And there he stood questioning me back, “What do you miss most about Banda Aceh?”
Then I would probably go on blabbering…

Of course it was the most beautiful places on earth that can be visited when the weekend comes. Lampuu beach, you have my heart in every single bit of sand, every single unit of water and every single second of sunset.
I miss the coffee. It was the perfect combination of bitter, sweet, sour, foam, milky and micro crushed grainy coffee beans. The coffee shop is where everybody knows everybody. I like it when I enter the room, every head would turn to stare at me and I found stars in their eyes.
And the temporary compound set up in the boundary between Aceh Besar and Banda Aceh. You can see red and white literally painted on the wall and some of them are hung in the air. It was an internationally local place, your ticket to see the world. From this point I gained some strengths and a rush adrenaline in my blood to give my best.
Home, is another thing I miss. Not that I don’t have home. I do have one; maybe I carry it around everywhere. But, the home I took as a postal address in Banda Aceh is really really home. It was not a big mansion or a fancy two-room apartment. Instead, it was a decent house, located in the heart of the city and filled up with everyone who can share their contagious happiness. Ah, yes so I miss the time after 10 o’clock every night where we all gathered in the living room watching local TV show (so who needs cable when we had all the fun?) and laugh uncontrollably. I usually nodded my head of while reading a book or two. Oh my God, sesak di dada nih.

And after a while, I stare at him, touting my eyebrows, “hey, I did popped the question first. What do you miss most when you were in UK?”

Unbalance smile and stars in the eyes, “You.”

Happy … uhm… let’s do the math later… Monthniversarry. 4 March 2008.

Watery Wet

My best friend Q, shouted out that morning while I was having a hot (note: it’s hot, hotter than warm) bath. “Dita!!! It’s snowing outside!!” Suddenly, I grabbed my towel, wrapped it around my body then ran out to the nearest window.

There. I saw white sprinkles are falling from the sky. And from the night before, they are already there. The roof, the trees, the yard, the bicycles parked on the street side, all covered by white soft icy blanket.
Then I can almost hear the soundtrack of Oshin as a background. Kidding.

Call me a ‘villager’ or whatsoever. I don’t care. For I’ve been mesmerized by the first snow falling on Tokyo this winter. I know, it’s not the first snow on earth, but it is the first snow experience in my life.

Then we went out. In a little hurry, but I couldn’t stop my self from shouting gladly. Yes, I was so happy until I forgot to feel the chilly weather. I walked around and I like the watery sound my feet made when they stepped on the ground. I fell in love with the sound of snow hitting my umbrella as well.

This nature phenomenon is magnificent for me. The water formed flakes and once fell in the corner of my lips. I licked it. Chilly, but somehow I like the taste. On top of all, I like to feel them exist on earth, allowed us to have almost all white scenery. It is no different than the picture I had in mind here.

So, it is snow. The same water we drink everyday. Fascinated, I remember the turquoise blue sea I love with all my heart in Lampuu. Also the light rain I watched from the window class back then when I was in college. The notorious bunch fell from the rock in the height as well. And the same kind we had in Jakarta this early month as flood. And as I recall as things longing by the people in Caia.

The Almighty must have been a genius yet an artistic one to create such a various beautiful form of water.
And aren’t we, humankind, grateful enough to have respect for it?

More pictures here.

Totemo Daisuki

I love you for always be there at Sunday morning at 8 o’clock sharp.
You never miss one day, for more than 15 years.

I love you for always show your witty face and make a contagious happines for the people around you.
Especially me.

I love you for being unperfect.
Even a clever robot like you needs help sometimes.

I love you for making me keep on dreaming.
You are the creature from ‘someday’ and I know a lot is happening in ‘someday’.

I love you for teaching me to keep on trying.
Even sophisticated tools sent from the future don’t always make sure everything will run smoothly.

And I love you for letting me seeing you in your hometown.
See, you are the one who always convince me, dream on and make it happen.

Silently Beautiful Sun

The sun.

I always fascinated by her appearance. She can be silently beautiful, and inspire me infinitely.
And in the land of the rising sun, I found her sneaking out to the horizon, and smile at me.
So I started the day with high enthusiastism. And although I found her rather mild in this region, saw her presence but could not feel her warmth, I do sense that she is still a friend of mine. Best friend of mine.

I wanna be like you, sun. Giving your shine and be the energy. Positively.

more of her picture

River Boys

I bought the book Beach Boys, written by an India author and you will have to believe that I haven’t finished it until now. Phew, it was 5 months ago. Well, the story is not disappointing, but still I haven’t managed to read it until the last page. As usual, the cover gets me into it. The picture of three dark brown skin boys, they are jumping right into the water. As, M sometimes says, a good color combination blue and brown is.



In my last trip to Marante, Tana Toraja, I had a chance to capture those dark brown skin boys, happily played by the river. Naked and innocent, so eager and not afraid of the water. As a citizen girl, I’m kind of jealous of them. They were really free and happy as can be. Ripped of their clothes, hanged by the bridge and jump right into the river. Beside the loud sound of splashing water, you can still hear their notorious laughter.

A friend once said that I am a free soul. Well, had met those river boys, you should rethink again, dear friend. As you can see me and my beib, Henny, on the bridge, loosing our balance and afraid to fall.

Sometimes it is not good to loose your balance. But once you loose it, be brave to fall gracefully, get wet, and still release a good laugh. After all, you learn how to swim. And being watery soaked is not that bad.More picture here